Under the watchful eyes of a full officiating crew, UCLA football answered the call to fix its FBS Division I worst: 130 penalties in 2012.

The Bruins, the only team at its level of competition to top 1,000 penalty yards, submitted a performance that coach Jim Mora deemed the best practice, in terms of physicality, of the program’s fall camp at California State University, San Bernardino.

UCLA collected a single penalty flag in 144 snaps to a quarterback during team scrimmages and down-and-distance simulations. The Bruins therefore avoided technique-based penalties, such as pass interference or holding, on all but one play during Wednesday’s scrimmage.

“The thing we need to get better at … it’s the pre-snap: the non-aggressive penalties. We had too many false starts,” said Mora, who instructed the referees to officiate tightly.

UCLA’s second-year coach commended the play of his first-string players, calling their performances clean. He also expressed understanding of his younger players’ struggles, calling the mental demands of the game “overwhelming” for them.

Despite his support for his players and remarks about being happy that many Bruins had become more disciplined, Mora saw significant room for improvement.

“Those young guys have to be able to process the information that’s called at the line of scrimmage with regard to the play or the defense we’re calling,” Mora said. “We’ve got to be able to process the snap count, handle movement opposite of players (and) jumping offside.”

An offside penalty that helped to sustain a drive by cutting a third-and-10 situation to third-and-5 highlighted the importance of situational awareness. Mora said he intends to condition his players to minimize mistakes by continuing to drill them in key moments, especially with hard counts on fourth-and-short.

Trial By Friendly Fire

If team drills displayed the triumph of experience over youth with regard to disciplined play, then senior inside linebacker Jordan Zumwalt demonstrated the former’s domination of the latter. The senior laid waste to freshman running back Craig Lee with a huge frontal collision during one-on-one tackling drills. Zumwalt proceeded to taunt the downed running back by yelling “Welcome to college!”,  which garnered a few words from assistant running back coach Deshaun Foster.

Zumwalt and Lee faced off again in catching drills, with the veteran proving successful in closely defending the first-year Bruin, who dropped a few catches in the middle of the field and along the sideline. Toward the end of the drills, Lee’s route toward the sideline was well-guarded by Zumwalt, resulting in an incompletion. The play earned the linebacker a low-five from Lee and a hug from Foster.

“Any time you can bring some excitement or some enthusiasm into the game, you try to do that so you can get everyone going. We’re just having fun,” Zumwalt said.

While the fourth-year player is a proponent of the team enjoying itself in practice, he strives to be helpful to his younger teammates.

“They’re their own person. … It’s not so much I’m trying to tell people what to do, it’s just (leading) the way … keep them in it mentally. When they need help mentally, you help them out.”

Mora later praised Lee’s athleticism and ability to quickly pick up the team’s offense. The coach, however, did not count the freshman as one of the five UCLA running backs that he could “count on” currently.

Defensive line coach Angus McClure identified sophomore Ellis McCarthy and freshmen Eddie Vanderdoes and Kylie Fitts as possible winners of a “very competitive” battle for a defensive end spot, depending on the scheme that a game situation calls for. Though McClure highlighted three underclassmen, he said that if he had to make a decision on Wednesday, redshirt senior defensive end Keenan Graham would start in UCLA’s base defense.

Graham said he has seen action in defensive formations ranging from the more pass-oriented nickel-and-dime packages to the Bruins’ main base defense. Weighing in at 255 pounds, Graham is on the lighter side for the position, especially among teams employing a 3-4 front like UCLA.

Although in his fifth season in the program, Graham recognizes the need to prove himself in a position he has never played before. The former linebacker will try to compensate by playing low to the ground with “good leverage” and improving his handwork in order to improve his ability to fend off blockers.

“I like to think of myself as a really good pass rusher, so if I could just add that skill to my game – use my hands more in the run game, getting off blocks and making plays – … I think that will make me a more well-rounded player.”

Injury Report

– According to McClure, McCarthy is playing through a “slightly pulled (quadriceps muscle).” McCarthy punched the field in seeming frustration and came off limping after a play during a team scrimmage, but was left in. McClure said the defensive end “didn’t want me to pull him out” and that McCarthy is a “tough kid.”

– Vanderdoes participated in positional drills during Wednesday morning’s practice. Coach Jim Mora and McClure were hopeful in their expectations for Vanderdoes’ ability to play in night practice.

– Mora said that redshirt senior running back Damien Thigpen should be ready to play before the middle of the season. The coach commented that he often has to tell Thigpen when he is pushing too hard to return to the field early.

Compiled by Emilio Ronquillo, Bruin Sports staff.